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Wednesday, 14 June 2017

The Great Big Job Hunt: Part 1 - The Path

What are we all doing with our lives?

What is our path?

What will be our story?

The Great Big Job Hunt: Part 1

The Path

I graduated university in 2015. Like many people I had no idea what I wanted to do. No clue what my path was to be. Like many I fell into retail. I got a part-time job in a bookshop, which I did really enjoy and it did wonders for my book collection, but as much as I enjoyed helping people find new reads and presents for friends and family, and as much as I like my colleagues, I missed having weekends to see my friends and family, I missed have regularity in my schedule, and I didn't feel as if it was my path.

Since my final year of university and since finishing. I have been on a journey. A journey of discovery, not only of what I want to do, but also discovering who I am outside of education. I am your very typical "middle class" girl. I went to school, got good GCSEs and A-levels, and went straight on to university with no break, no gap-year. I filled my CV with extracurriculars such as World Challenge, Duke of Edinburgh, and sports societies. So much of my youth was spent doing the right thing to get the grades to do what I wanted to do, and although I had ideas of career paths I had never really considered what exactly I would do afterwards. I left doors open taking a wide range of subjects that I was genuinely interest in, but I didn't really have a plan for the next stage in life.

Two years on since finishing university I thought I would share with you some of my job hunting tips and advice. I am currently in my second job since finishing university, currently working as a Sales Support Administrator. I sometimes have conversations with members of the public looking for jobs. Some not sure how to write CVs and some almost on the verge of tears at their frustration with trying to find a job. I understand their frustration, worry, and desperation. I know that the Great Big Job Hunt can be disheartening and frustrating, but don't give up. Although you may have a different background and education and obstacles in your way, I believe in you. I believe that we can all get to where we want to be. It may not be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. You will get to where you want to be.

In this series of blog posts I plan to share some hints and tips that I have picked up that might help you with the crazy game that is the Great Big Job Hunt. I will talk about how to search for a job, offering advice on using job websites, interacting with recruitment agencies, writing CVs and cover letters, and also I will discuss the recruitment process, the applying, tests, interviews, possible offer stage, and dealing with rejections. I may not have all the answers, I'm no expert, but I hope that this may help in someway. If you have any questions then don't be afraid to ask in the comments. I will try and help as much as possible, but if you too have any advice for others then do feel free to share it. The Great Big Job Hunt can be a scary frustrating place, lets help each other out.

Good luck everyone.

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Part 1: The Path?

The hardest question of all is what do you want to do? What job are you looking for? This is an important question as it will help narrow down your search, but it is also a stumbling block for many. If you really aren't sure what you want to do, write down your interests, things that you think you would like for a career. Do you want to help people? Do you want to be creative? Are you curious? Do you want to teach others? Think about your personality and the things that interest you. Once you have some idea of things you would like to do,research possible careersthat use/involve the traits you are looking for.

Researching careers may sound difficult, as there are thousands of jobs in many many sectors that you probably have never heard of, but don't be dishearten. If you search enough, googling key words and jobs that include what you want to do, things will come up. Furthermore there are many job sites that have pages about different career sectors, websites that are A-Zs of different careers, and if you aren't one for the internet, there are also many books, such as the A-Z of Careers and jobs. Don't forget to also ask friends and family for ideas, they know what you like and what are you like, and they may have an idea that you have never thought of. Remember what every you decide on is not the be all and end all. You can change your mind at any point, and if you want to try something first, try and gain work experience or an internship in that field, or try and speak to or contact someone who works in the industry to find out more.

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If you have any questions regarding this topic or anything else, feel free to leave a comment.